Air-washing attachment for carburetors



Apr. i7,1923. 1,452,231

J. L. WELLS AIR WASHING ATTACHMENT FOR CARBURETORS Filed April 23 1918.llii.

PATENT onion. 5

JACOB L. WELLS, OI MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AIR-WASHING J ATTACHMENT FOR CARBURETORS.

' Application filed April 2a, 1918. Serial No. 230,199.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB L. WELLS, a

citizen of the United States, resident of Minneapolis, county ofHennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air-Washing Attachments for Carburetors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

' The object of my invention is to provide an attachment for an internalcombustion engine carburetor by means of which the air entering thecarburetor may be thoroughly washed and purified to the end that theentrance of dust and dirt into the carburetor will be entirelyprevented.

A further object is to provide an attachment of the class described inwhich the air entering the carburetor in addition to being thoroughlywashed, is moistened. and thereby a better and more efiicient mixturefor the gas charge isobtained.

Other objects of the invention will ap-- pear from the followingdetailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations. all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side view of an internal combustion engine and radiatorwith my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the attachment for theradiator,

Figure ills a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified construct-ion,attached to an exhaust manifold.

In the drawing, 2 represents an internal combustion engine of anysuitable type and 3 a carburetor therefor, 4 is the radiator, of anysuitable construction having a pipe connection 5 with the jackets of theengine cylinders. On the top of this radiator I mount a casting 6 havinga chamber formed therein of suitable size and shape to receive the upperend of a section of pipe S which is preferably supported bymeans of aspider 9 in the upper end of the pipe and a rod-1O which is tapped intosaid spider and is provided with a finger grip 11 on the top of thecasting 6. The pipe 8 is open at each end and the wall of the castinghas a plurality of ports 12 therein communicating with the pipe 8 andthrou h which air is drawn into the radiator. n elbow 13 is formed inthe casting 6 and has a passage 14 therethrough and a port 15 isprovided in the Wall of said elbow in the upper part of the castingticommunicating with the chamber 16 in the top of the radiator. The lowerend of the elbow13 has a coupling 17 in the wall of the radiator towhich a pipe 18 is connected, which extends to the carburetor 3. Thispipe forms an indirect air intake to the carburetor. Through this pipe asuction will be established to draw air through the perforations12 intothe pipe 8, the lower end of which is submerged in the water in theradiator and down'through the open lower end of the pipe and up throughthe water in the radiator to the elbow 13, and from thence to thecarburetor. During this pas sage the air will be thoroughly washed andcleansed and at the same time will be moistened 'so that whendeliveredto the carburetor it will be free from all impurities or any foreignsubstance which might clog the carburetor or interfere with its properoperation and will he moistened to such an extent .that combustion ofthe charge in the cylinders will be more complete and the operation ofthe engine more efiicient.

I am aware that it is known to connect the circulatin system of themotor with the manifold of the engine for the delivery of vapor to themixing chamber, but this does not accomplish the result obtained by myinvention as no provision is made .for cleansing the air which entersthrough the carburetor, and this is the essential feature of my presentinvention. I prefer also to provide a valve 19 in the wall of thecarburetor, operated by a rod 20 from the dash so that whenever desired,as in starting the engine, the operator may admit air directly to thecarburetor until suflic-ient suction is created to draw the air throughthe pipe connections with the circulating system.

In Figure 4 I have shown a modification, which consists in providing acasing or housing 21 around the exhaust manifold 22 through the waterand around the hot walls of the exhaust pipe and is heated thereby andthen enters a nipple 26 in the top of the casting: for delivery througha pipe, connection 2 with the carburetor, as described with reference toFigure 1.

This manner of washing the air is substantiallythe same as describedwith reference to the previous figures, except that the housing 21 is aseparate attachment for the exhaust pipe instead of attaching the pipeconnection of the carburetor with the circulating system. a

My attachment aidscombustion by adding' air in a heated condition. Itassists in controlling the temperature of the engine and in controllingand preventing preignition of liquid fuels, and also preventscarbonization in the cylinder and aids. in the use of low grade fuels.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination. with an internal combustion engine carburetor, of aradiator and casing mounted thereon and having perforations in itswalls, a pipe open at each end fittingwithin said casing andcommunicating with said perforations and having its lower end dependingwithin the water in said radiator, means for adjusting said pipe toincrease or decrease the volume of air intake, said casing having anelbow formed thereon, one end of said elbow communicating with the spacein said radiator above the level of the water and the other end having acoupling in the wall of said radiator and a pipe leading from saidcoupling to the carburetor.

2. The combination, with an internal combustion engine and itscarburetor, of a radiator, a casing mounted thereon and having1 aplurality of air intake openings in its wa ls and a pipe having openends n'iounted for adjustment in said casing for exposing or closingsaid air intake openings, one end of said pipe being immersed in thewater in the radiator, whereby the air currents entering said openingsfiow downwardly through said pipe and the water in said radiator, saidcasing having a chamber above the level of the water and a pipe havingan open end in said chamber and pro vided with means for connection withthe engine carburetorw In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my handthis 13th day of April 1918.

- JACOB L. WELLS.

